


Seldom All They Seem

by sharptongued



Series: Controlling Steve [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Dubious Consent, Hypnotism, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-09-07 17:14:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20313106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sharptongued/pseuds/sharptongued
Summary: Tony and Steve go out for dinner, Tony is a little darkly obsessive, Steve goes under and makes a partial confession, and Tony... Tony takes a step down a less than light path.Direct sequel to Help Me Out, posted as a sequel rather than a second chapter to allow for a plot divergence.





	Seldom All They Seem

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first part of the darker one, folks. In the continuing chapters (as this is looking like it will be a multiparter), the dubious consent will get darker, depending on how far it goes. 
> 
> For specific warnings, see the end notes.
> 
> Also, for those of you looking to skim, the dinner scene is lifted essentially whole cloth from "So Familiar a Dream".

See, the thing is, Tony knows he can get obsessed.

He's not ignorant of his flaws. And sometimes it's a gift, when he turns something over in his head so many times and looks at it from so many angles that everything finally slots together and makes sense in a perfect way that would be unattainable by other means.

This is not one of those times.

He hasn't slept in two days, because every time he closes his eyes, he sees Steve's sweet, slack face and he _aches_.

Those dark fantasies Tony had ignored during his initial research? They're all through his thoughts, pushing aside other, useful, less perverse thoughts about his friend, because Steve is his FRIEND, he reminds himself, sometimes viciously, trying to push back the onslaught of images in his head. 

Images like Steve staring into the spiral so deep and so long he never comes up... Steve on his knees for Tony, eyes glassy, those pretty pink lips parted...

He swallows hard and shakes his head, trying to clear it again.

Maybe Steve will call in his dinner soon. Maybe seeing him in person instead of in these shadowy imaginings will help. Remind him that his friend is a person, and not a plaything, or an experiment, no matter what these dark fantasies croon to him. He hopes so.

They've managed to mostly avoid each other for a couple of days, really only bumping into each other by the kitchen, then, finally, Steve texts Tony- "How does tonight work for you?"

Tony smiles at his phone in the lab, then blushes and he's glad he's alone. Is this a date? It feels like it might kinda be a date. Shit. Where's he gonna take Steve? Is that gonna affect how things go? His brain starts spinning out on him, then he gets a hold of himself. Maybe he should answer the damn text before he has a full blown anxiety attack.

"Sure, what time were you thinking?" There. See? Easy.

A response pops up right away- Steve must have been waiting for Tony's answer. Maybe he's excited too? Tony bites his lower lip. "Whenever, Tony, my schedule is open. But I know you're a busy guy ;)"

A wink emoji? Tony is going to die. Maybe Steve doesn't know what that means? No, he definitely does- despite all Tony's jokes, Steve is frustratingly tech literate for a centenarian.

"I know you elderly people like to eat early in the evening, how's five sound?" There, a joke. Tony's smooth. He's still got it.

"I think maybe you just want to see me earlier in the day. ;) But five works for me. Meet you in the lobby?" Steve is flirting. That's definitely flirting. Right? Tony's going to give himself a heart attack by lunch, forget dinner.

"Sounds good. Wear something nice, gramps."

"I always try to look my best around you."

Yup. Tony's gonna die. But at least it'll be nice.

Tony is late- only a few minutes, and he got distracted, it could have been worse, he'd forgotten entire evenings out in the past- and he exits the elevator to see Steve fixing his cuffs in a black sport coat, a neat white shirt with the top three buttons open, show a tantalizing flash of chest and throat, and well fitted burgundy slacks, his hair slicked back. Tony feels his mouth go dry.

Steve looks up as the elevator opens and smiles, wide and open at Tony. "Was starting to think you'd forgotten about me," he says, teasing lightly, but Tony can see the shadow of real worry lingering there.

"How could I forget about you, Red, White and Beautiful?" Tony shoots back, and the light blush that stains Steve's cheeks is deeply gratifying, makes Tony feel a little less like jumping out of his skin. Still got it, Stark.

"You're incorrigible," Steve tells him, but he still holds the door open for him, so he figures he's not really in any trouble.

They drive to the restaurant together in companionable silence, just a bit of tension there, but nothing unbearable. Tony looks over at Steve at a red light and catches Steve doing the same and they both laugh and look away like teenagers.

This is almost definitely a date.

Tony parks and it's a pretty great spot- probably nabbed it right after someone left work, maybe this 5 o'clock dinner thing isn't so bad after all- and he holds the door for Steve going into Keens. Steve nods his head in thanks, and Tony gets to look at his ass in those damn burgundy pants. Win-win.

Steve looks around at the dark wood, the historical tidbits around the lobby. "Wow, Tony, this place is really nice... We could have just gotten a burger or something, you know I'm easy."

Tony wiggles his eyebrows. "Is that a fact?"

Steve flushes dark to the tips of his ears and the maitre'd tells them their table is ready, escorts them over. "Enjoy your meal, gentlemen."

Steve's eyes widen at the prices on the menu and Tony immediately shushes him before he can even protest. "You did me a favor, I'm spoiling you a little. Be glad I didn't drag you to Le Bernardin. And don't go trying to pinch pennies on me, order anything you think sounds good- that's an order, soldier."

Steve rolls his eyes, but he doesn't complain any more, and when the waiter comes to check on them, he orders an appetizer and a drink- Tony's glad he took him to heart. He does the same and their cocktails come quick and cold, just how he likes them. He loves this place.

They're chatting as they sip their drinks and eat their appetizers, salad for Steve, charred shishito peppers for Tony, just casual back and forth; the team, the weather, sports- Steve is a rabid baseball fan, to Tony's amusement- then they order dinner, and when the food comes, even the easy back and forth largely dies off as they both dig in. When Steve puts the first bite of mutton in his mouth, he groans softly and his eyes slide shut and wow if that doesn't go straight to Tony's dick.

He clears his throat and Steve flushes. "Uh. Sorry. It's really, really good. You want a piece?" he asks, immediately going to cut some for Tony. He waves him off.

"No no, I'm good with my steak. Besides, if you like it that much, I wouldn't want to deprive you." Steve smiles, warm and a little shy, and goes back to his plate with gusto.

It takes Tony a minute to go back to eating.

After a while they both finish and even Steve, with his super soldier appetite, is patting his stomach. "Wow. That was a lot. And very delicious," he says, giving Tony a wide, genuine smile, "Thank you Tony. This was really nice. I'm sorry I ever even hinted that you might back out."

Tony smiles, laughs. "Wouldn't have been the first time I'd forgotten a dinner. But I'm trying to be better, more attentive in my old age. You want dessert?"

Steve shakes his head. "Maybe back to the Tower?"

"Sure," Tony says easily, and he leaves enough cash on the table for most of the staff to be able to go on vacation, "Your chariot awaits."

They head back together, and stand a little awkwardly in the lobby, neither of them quite sure what to say. Finally, Tony starts to say, "Would you want to-" just as Steve says, "Hey Tony, d'you think-" They both stop and blink at each other, then laugh.

"Go 'head," Steve says.

"No, I insist," Tony says, and Steve blushes again- Tony thinks maybe he could get used to seeing that, causing it.

"Well um. I was just thinking, and y'know, I mean, you don't have to, but I was wondering, if maybe you might," he takes a little breath, steels himself, "if you might wanna... run that experiment on me again," he says, and it takes Tony a second to figure out what he means.

He laughs, not meanly, but Steve still winces, colors darkly with embarrassment and shit, Tony didn't mean for that to happen at all. "No Steve, it's fine- please don't- don't think i'm being mean. I'm just- I was surprised, that's all. So you really liked it?"

Steve shifts on his feet, looks down at the floor. "It helped, like you said it would. I felt calm and relaxed for the rest of the night. Slept well and everything," he says shyly, and it sounds a little like it's costing him something to admit all this. Tony holds his breath, gets a handle on his budding excitement. "I'm sorry I treated it like a joke at first, Tony. I think you're right, that it could- it could really help people. And yes, also I... I liked it, yes."

Tony smiles. "Well we can do it again, sure. Now?"

Steve bites his lip, looks up at Tony hopefully. "If that's okay. Do we have to go back to the lab?"

Tony shakes his head. "No, just somewhere you feel comfortable. I left uh... I guess you could think about it like a backdoor in your head, to take you back to trance without the tablet, speed things up."

Steve shifts again, looking faintly uneasy, but mostly anticipatory. "Well we could... we could go up to my apartment then I guess. The couch you put in there is nice," he says, and Tony nods.

"That's a good idea. Familiar surroundings," he says, and Steve nods. He hits the call button for the elevator. They get in together and stand in silence on the way up, slightly more tense than in the car.

They're almost up there when Steve breaks the dense quiet. "Hey Tony, this backdoor thing... to put me back like that. It only works for you, right?"

Tony soothes him right away. "Oh yes of course. Only when I say the word, Steve, no one else is getting to short circuit you all of the sudden."

Some of the tension in Steve's shoulders lets go, and he huffs out a sigh. "Oh, okay. As long as it's you. I don't mind so much then."

Tony offers him a reassuring smile, and the doors open. Steve goes to sit down on the couch and Tony stands behind him, warm gentle hands on his shoulders, just like the other night.

"Ready, Steve?"

He takes a shaky breath, nods. "Yeah... Yeah okay. Go for it."

"Casablanca," Tony says softly, and Steve has a second to blink before it drags him under like a wave, his eyes sliding shut and his body slumping forward, a puppet with its strings cut.

Tony walks around to the front, just to look at him. He looks so soft and small like this, most of the presence Steve carries with him smoothed away by the trance. He looks... vulnerable. Human. Tony squats in front of him, takes his hands in his.

"Steve, can you hear me?" he asks gently, and Steve stirs, just a little.

"Yeah," he replies, almost like he's talking in his sleep.

It's wrong that Tony thinks it's hot. Whatever. He'll shame himself later; he's only doing what Steve asked. 

"You feel good, like you did the other night?"

"Yeah," he breathes, and Tony swears he smiles a little, "Good... Safe..."

Tony has a dark flash of insecurity, thinking back to Bucky and the fight that had nearly torn the Avengers apart completely and he thinks well... What harm can a question do? It's not like Steve will remember, anyway. Maybe his impulse control isn't the best after the lack of sleep, but he should be fine. It'll be fine.

"Stay in this deep, warm, safe place with me," Tony says, rubbing his thumbs over the backs of Steve's hands. Steve nods and sighs, content. "You know you're safe here, safe with me. Is there anything you want to tell me, Steve? Anything you're hiding?"

Steve's brow wrinkles, and Tony keeps up his patter, soothes him. "Easy Steve, remember, you're safe, it's open, you can be honest. Relax, let it out. You'll feel better once you get it off your chest, and you already feel so good, so safe and warm and soft..."

Steve's face smooths back out and he sighs, nods. "Yes... There's something I haven't told you..." he says slowly, and Tony feels white hot anger flare up in him. He thought Steve trusted him now, thought they were friends- thought maybe they could be more.

Well. Steve had messed with Tony's feelings. Maybe turnabout was fair play.

_Or maybe you're just looking for an excuse,_ a dark, mean voice whispers in his head, but he pushes it aside. If Steve was hiding things from him, he could at least make him rely on him more. Keep the balance of the team that way. Plus, he'll get to see what the boundaries of this are, how far he can push. And what scientist can resist that?

"Steve," Tony says softly, and his eyelids flutter, like he's trying to pay attention, and Tony goes back to stroking his hands, soothing him, "Easy, shhh, easy... You're safe here. No more talking about that. You feel good, don't you? Relaxed?"

Steve sighs, nods. 

"And you want to keep feeling this way?"

He nods again, shifts a little.

"Good, Steve, that's good. We're going to take you down deeper, to a soft, quiet place where you want to listen to me, to make it easier for you to come back here, make it feel even better. So relaxed for me, right? You remember the spiral, don't you Steve?"

Another nod, and what seems to be unease- Tony had better take him deeper quickly.

"Think about the spiral, Steve, picture it in your mind. Like a soft, swirling vortex, pulling you deep into its center. In the center, it's so quiet and peaceful. There's no thoughts or discomfort... Just sweet, soft contentment, soothing peace... You can feel it pulling you deeper and deeper... And the deeper you go, the quieter it is, until all there is is my voice. No thoughts clouding things up, no resistance... Just easy, pliant, pliable... It's so easy to listen to me in the quiet, so easy to obey my voice when it's the only sound... You want to listen to me, don't you? You want to keep feeling good, here in the quiet with me?" 

Steve looks like he might be struggling, just a little, at first, and then he stops, and his face smooths out, serene, blank. "Yes... Want to listen..." he murmurs, and his head sways a little.

Tony feels arousal curl tight and hot in his belly. "You want to feel like this again. It's the most relaxing thing. You feel so good and soft here. It's the only way you can relax properly, here in the trance with me. And you want to listen to me when you're in trance. It's only fair to listen to the person who makes you feel so good, isn't it?"

"Only... only fair..." Steve repeats softly.

"You want to feel like this again, Steve. You need to."

"I... I need to..."

"You can't relax without it. You'll feel yourself get more and more tense until you come back to me to relax. Understand?"

"Yes... can't relax without it..."

"And you won't remember. This is only in the quiet place, Steve, not when you're awake. Only here."

"O-only... Only here..."

Steve shudders, and Tony is terrified for a second that he's going to wake up, but he goes limp, like he's accepted everything. Tony grins, relieved, victorious.

"Tell me what I've told you, Steve."

"I need to relax... This is the only way I can... And I won't... won't remember..."

"Very good. So good for me. Now, easy, we're going to wake you up, nice and slowly, leaving this behind, locked away. Are you ready?"

Steve sighs, nods. 

"Okay, Steve, we'll count to five together now, up from zero where it's safe and quiet, back to being awake and aware. Zero, still so deep in the spiral, dark, quiet, but waking up some. One, starting to come up, back to the waking world with me. Two, feeling the sleepiness leave you, feeling your thought come back. Three, more than halfway now, almost up for me, four, back with me, blinking, shaking this off, and five, awake, aware, back with me."

Steve blinks and shakes his head, clearing the remaining cobwebs. "Wow, Tony... Mmm, I feel much better. Thank you."

Tony offers a smile, drops Steve's hands, stands up straight. "Sure, Cap. Any time. You let me know if you want to do it again."

Steve blushes, laughs. "Well we'll see. It's still kind of weird y'know."

Tony laughs. "Mmhmm. We'll see."

He walks over to the elevator, hit the call button. "Well, I'll let you enjoy the afterglow. G'night Steve."

Steve waves from the couch. "Sure, Tony, make it sound perverse. G'night."

The door closes behind him and Tony leans back against the wall, wondering how long Steve will wait before he comes back to him.

Wonders what he'll do if he does, when he does.

Smiles.

**Author's Note:**

> For the dub con, Tony takes Steve back into trance and plants a suggestion that could be interpreted as essentially giving him a mild addiction, then makes him forget.
> 
> There's the first step on the dark path, folks! Suggestions for where you want to see things go, how dark you want it to get, what you want to see Tony do to Steve- all more than welcome.


End file.
